Transcript for Piscataway Council meeting on January 2 2025
Note: Transcripts are generated by rev.ai and may not be fully accurate. Please listen to the recording (below) if you feel any text is inaccurate.
Speaker 0 00:00:06 Recording in progress Speaker 1 00:00:07 Everyone a very happy New Year and Healthy New Year. I'd like to make another comment. I'd like to thank Gabrielle Cahill for her leadership in 2024. So thank you so much Gabrielle, for your leadership for the year. I'd also like to thank Kail Shaw and Reverend Rouse for their service to our community. Congratulations. I'd like to congratulate our mayor for being reappointed to be the mayor again and again to Gabrielle Cahill for being reelected. And I would also like to welcome our new members, Laura Libor and Sarah Rashid. Welcome to the team. We as a team will work together to do good things for the Township of Piscataway, and every day is a new opportunity to be better than we were yesterday. So now we'll move forward and get this meeting going. I'd like to call this meeting to order. Speaker 1 00:01:19 Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided as required under chapter 2 3 1 PL 1975, specifying the time, date, location, login, or dial in information and to the extent known the agenda by posting a copy of the notice on the bulletin boards, the municipal building, the municipal court, and the two municipal library bulletin boards municipal website, providing a copy to the official newspapers of the township. And by filing a copy in the office of the township clerk, in accordance with the certification by the clerk, which bill will be entered in the minutes. There will be public comment periods for both remote and in-person attendees separately. Each member of the public shall only have one opportunity to speak during each public portion. As technology does not allow us to know if there are multiple callers on an individual phone line or logged in user account. We ask that if you wish to speak, that you log in or dial in separately so that we can recognize you as a separate individual. Should you have any further comments or questions. The Town Council is always available by email and phone, and you can always call the mayor's office during normal operating hours. Speaker 1 00:02:37 Could everyone please join me in the flag salute Speaker 2 00:02:42 Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which stands, one nation under God in invisible with liberty and justice for all. Speaker 1 00:03:01 As everyone knows, this is the reorganization meeting this evening. So I open the meeting and I will now open the nominations to elect a council President. Can I have a nomination to elect the council president? Speaker 5 00:03:16 Yes, I'd like to nominate Dennis Espinosa as Council President Speaker 4 00:03:21 Second Carmichael. Speaker 1 00:03:24 Okay. Can you please call the role Speaker 4 00:03:33 Council member Cahill? Yes. Council member Carmichael. Yes. Council member Espinosa. Yes. Council member Lebowitz? Yes. Council member Lombardi? Yes. Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Ern? Speaker 5 00:03:53 Yes. Speaker 1 00:03:54 And we have a council President Des Dennis Espinosa. And you can now join the seat here. Speaker 6 00:04:39 Thank everyone. Thank you Councilwoman Lombardi. I would like to also thank Councilwoman Cahill for her leadership for being a council president in 2024. You truly, you know, love this town and care for its residents, so thank you for your leadership. Speaker 7 00:04:59 Thank you Councilman. Speaker 6 00:05:01 I would like to echo Councilwoman Lombardi statements from before. I would like to thank Kapi Sean, Reverend Morales for their service for being council members last year. Thank you so much. I definitely learned a lot from everyone. So thank you. And also congratulations to mayor and a very warm welcome to Sarah Rashid and Laura Leitz. I'm gonna look forward to working with both of you. I would like to call the nominations to elect council vice president. Speaker 7 00:05:46 I would like to nominate Michelle Lombardi. And before I, we hear a second. The reason why I'd like to nominate Michelle is because, well first, your love of this town, lifelong resident born and raised here. And for all of the various things that you've done for this town, for the different initiatives that you've spearheaded, the cleanup, the Christmas decorations, you know many, the many, many things. And I know I'm missing a million things, but you do it because you love the town and you wanna bring us together as one town and have sort of that small town feel in a big town. And also because for the years of good guidance, good governance from my perspective when I was first on the board. So with that, I'd like to offer our councilwoman, Michelle Lombardi to be council vice president. Speaker 6 00:06:47 Have a second please. Yeah, I'd like to second that. I'd like to ask roll call please. Speaker 4 00:06:54 Council member Cahill. Speaker 7 00:06:56 Yes. Speaker 4 00:06:57 Council member Carmichael. Yes. Council member Lombardi. Yes. You guys are out of order. Sorry. Council member Liebowitz. Council member Liebowitz. Yes. Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Ern. Yes. Council President Espinosa? Speaker 6 00:07:20 Yes. Congratulations. Speaker 4 00:07:25 Thank you. Speaker 6 00:07:33 Okay, I would like to, we would like to call the meeting to order the re organization meeting of January 2nd, 2025. Roll call please. Speaker 4 00:07:48 Council Member Cahill Here. Council Member Carmichael Present. Council Member Liebowitz. Here. Council Member Lombardi. Here. Council Member Rashid. Here. Council member Rin. Here. Council President Esposa here. Speaker 6 00:08:09 So now we're announced the Mayor Mayor's appointment. Ms. Cedar, can you proceed Speaker 4 00:08:13 To the Civil Rights Advisory Commission? Taryn Atkins. E Bahir. Hammed, Han Achmed, Charmine Richardson. Sharon Robinson Briggs, Lynn Wood, Rouse Kenon Saunders, Shirley Saunders, Brenda Smith to the Community Outreach Advisory Commission. Amy Bauman, Calvin Laughlin, Chanel McCullum, Jenny Perez, Ray Lynn Wood Rouse Frank Ern to the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission. Gabrielle Cahill. Peter Neiman Kail, Shaw Emergency Management Coordinator. Nick Lombardi, deputy Emergency Management Coordinator, Paul Snyder to the planning board. Hir Hammed, Gabrielle Cahill, Dawn Corcoran, Phillip Esche, Henry Kinneally, Carol Saunders, Brenda Smith, the Presiding Municipal Court Judge James p Hoish. Speaker 6 00:09:19 Thank you Ms. Cedar comments regarding item number 11, consent agenda items opening to the public. If you opening to the remote portion of, if you wish to speak at this time, please raise your hand either on Zoom app or by phone by pressing star nine. When it's your turn to speak, you'll receive or hear a request. To unmute yourself, please click the prompt or press star six on your phone to unmute yourself at this time. At that time, please state your name and address and know that you have three minutes in which to make your comments. The council administration will respond if necessary. After you have completed any comments or questions, Speaker 4 00:10:07 Council president, there are no remote attendees with their hand raised regarding this agenda item. Speaker 6 00:10:12 Thank you Ms. Cedar, opening to the in-person attendees, if you wish to speak at this time, please come to the podium, state your name and address and know that you have three minutes in which to make your comments. You may take a seat after completion of your comments or questions and the council or administration will then respond if necessary. I see no one closing to the public. Can I have a motion please? We have an ordinance First reading, Speaker 4 00:10:55 Be it Resolved. Yeah, I'm gonna read it. Be It Resolved by the Township Council, Piscataway Township, New Jersey that an ordinance entitled, ordinance of the Township of Piscataway, county of Middlesex, state of New Jersey, designated a qualified purchasing agent pursuant to Njs A 48 11 dash nine B and is hereby adopted on the first reading that it be published in the official newspaper. And that a second reading of public hearing be held at 7:30 PM Prevailing time at the Piscataway Municipal Building 4 55 Hose Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey on the 23rd day of January, 2025. Be it further resolved that a copy of this ordinance shall be posted in at least two public places within the township prior to the day of the second reading and final passage. And a copy of this ordinance shall be made available at the office of the Township Clerk for any interested member of the public. Speaker 6 00:11:42 Thank you Ms. Cedar. Can I have a motion please? Speaker 0 00:11:45 Motion. Speaker 6 00:11:50 I have a second. Speaker 4 00:11:51 Second. Councilwoman Lombardi. Speaker 6 00:11:53 Thank you. Eder. Can I have a roll call? Speaker 4 00:11:58 Council member Cahill? Yes. Council member Carmichael? Yes. Council member Liebowitz? Yes. Council member Lombardi? Yes. Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Rin? Yes. Council President Espinosa? Yes. Speaker 6 00:12:13 Harness pass. Consent Agenda Resolution for efficiency items have been consolidated into a consent agenda to be voted on together. The materials for these items have been distributed to the council in advance of the meeting at this time. Are there any items that council will like removed from the con consent agenda to be discussed or voted on separately? Speaker 4 00:12:43 None. Thank you. Speaker 6 00:12:45 None. Thank you. Speaker 4 00:12:50 I'm gonna read these appointments. Okay. Speaker 6 00:12:52 Okay. Thank you. Speaker 4 00:12:56 Appointment of Kelly Mitch as Deputy Municipal Clerk, Melissa Cedar's, registrar of Vital Statistics. Kelly Mitch as Deputy Registrar and Bunty sued as alternate Deputy Registrar of Vital Statistics. Jane Coine and Kenneth Saunders to the Board of Ethics, Sarah Rashid, Laura Liebowitz, Katherine Jutt, Raj Kumar and Eloise Robinson to the Cultural Arts Advisory Commission. Norman Edam, Mohamed Hussein, Karen Lynn, and Jerry Wilson to the Health Advisory Commission. Frank rn, Henry Kinneally, Dawn Corcoran, Alex Adkins, Linwood Rouse, and Kail Shaw to the Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee. Timothy Dacy, Chris Ido, and Janine Albanese to the Library Board of Trustees, animal Control Solutions as Certified Animal Control Officers. And Sean Morelli as the animal cruelty investigator. Dawn Corcoran as Municipal Housing Liaison for Affordable Housing Program. Gabrielle Cahill to the planning board as Class three. Member Michelle Lombardi, Legina Adams, Karen Johnson, Raj Kumar, Kimberly Lane, Nicole Owens, Ammar GOs, Swami Ahmed Mulani and Peter Naman to the Public Relations Advisory Commission. Kail Shaw to the Recreation Advisory Commission. Speaker 4 00:14:15 Camille Nicla, Antonio Banno, Joyce Coles and Karen O'Donnell to the Senior Citizens Advisory Commission. Michelle Lombardi and Amy Bauman to the Senior Citizen Housing Board of Trustees, Artie Hada. Rodney Blount. William Mitterando. Waka Ali To the zoning board of Adjustment Amelia Light, Esquire as supervising prosecutor Thomas Lanza and John Kozinski as township prosecutors. Timothy Dacy as Public Agency Compliance Officer James Harding and John Wisnewski as public defenders. Vanessa Co. Colon as municipal court administrator. Angela Dos Santos as Deputy Municipal Court Administrator. Christopher Yodas. Kenneth Schultz, Thomas pki, Brad Stover and Joseph Quigley as special police officers. Bandana Ana as the treasurer. Keith lti as the deputy, as the Director of Public safety. Timothy Dacy as Business Administrator. Jonathan Rahi as CDBG Township certifying agent Guy Gaspa as recycling coordinator. Guy Gaspa as the Clean Communities Coordinator. Melissa Seater as a certifying official for municipal lien searches, Dawn Corcoran as certifying agent for sub subdivision approvals. Timothy Dacy or Joseph Herrera as the agent for filing applications with the state D EP for flood hazard area permit authorizations. Timothy Dacy or Joseph Herrera as agent of the township for filing applications with the Freehold Soil Conservation District. Timothy Dacy or Joseph Herrera as agent of the township for filing applications with state DEP for extension of Sanitary Source. Speaker 6 00:16:07 Thank you Ms. Cedar. Okay, announcements and comments from the officials. Our officials, Gabriel. Okay, Speaker 3 00:16:26 We have to vote on that. Speaker 6 00:16:37 Can I have a motion please offer for the consent agenda items. I second. I'll second it. Frank Owen, roll call please. Speaker 4 00:16:51 Council member Cahill? Yes. Council member Carmichael? Yes. Council member Liebowitz? Yes. Council member Lombardi? Yes. Council member Rashid? Yes. Council member Ern? Yes. Council President Espinosa? Speaker 6 00:17:04 Yes. Speaker 10 00:17:10 Council president, if I can make a suggestion that everybody whose name was called, please come up to the front and if they use one of the Bibles or if you have something else or you don't need to have a Bible, just please go up the front so we can administer the oath of office. Speaker 6 00:17:25 Thank you Mary. Speaker 10 00:17:55 You come up here up to the front here. This is organized chaos. Speaker 4 00:18:07 If your name was called, please stand up to take your oath. Thank you. Speaker 10 00:18:43 All right. All right. We're not, we're not holding hands and singing kumbaya here. So you're gonna take the oath of office, okay? Okay. Okay. Everybody raise your right hand and repeat after me. I And state your name. I Speaker 2 00:18:59 Na. Speaker 10 00:18:59 Do solemnly swear. Do solemnly swear that I will support the constitution. That I'll support Speaker 2 00:19:04 The Speaker 10 00:19:05 Constitution of the United States. Of the United States and of this constitution of the state of New Jersey and the Speaker 2 00:19:11 Constitution of New Jersey. Jersey. Speaker 10 00:19:13 That I what? Bear true faith that will Speaker 2 00:19:15 Bear true Speaker 10 00:19:16 Faith and allegiance to the same and Speaker 2 00:19:18 Allegiance to Speaker 10 00:19:18 The same. And to the governments established. And to the Speaker 2 00:19:21 Government's established Speaker 10 00:19:22 In the United States. In the United States. And in this state. And in this state. Under the authority of the people, under Speaker 2 00:19:29 The authority of the Speaker 10 00:19:30 People that I will faithfully, that Speaker 2 00:19:32 I'm Speaker 10 00:19:32 Faithfully, impartially, impartially, unjustly, unjustly. Perform all the duties. Perform Speaker 2 00:19:38 All the Speaker 10 00:19:39 Duties of the office of, of the Speaker 2 00:19:41 Office Speaker 10 00:19:41 Of and state your Speaker 2 00:19:42 Okay. Speaker 10 00:19:44 Oh good. I didn't have to say anything according to the best of my ability, according Speaker 2 00:19:48 To the best of Speaker 10 00:19:49 My ability. Congratulations. Thank you. I wanna thank you for showing it to Serially is in chaos. If everybody wants to just took their oath, you can go in the back and see Dana. She has your certificate sec that you have to sign. So if you want to get out and go ahead and sign. Okay. Speaker 2 00:20:33 Right. Congrat. Thank you. Oath. Good. How are you? Speaker 7 00:20:58 I love the group. Group Oath of office. Speaker 6 00:21:02 Thank you Mayor. And congratulations everyone, we come to the announcement and comments from official portion. Councilwoman Keho, would you like to start off? Speaker 7 00:21:14 Yeah, I would just like to wish all people present. Piscataway residents a very happy and healthy new year. It's going to be a very interesting year at the national level, but we know here in this town that we are all working to make us a better town. And so I look forward to that and just wish everyone safe travels on the roads during the winter season. And yeah. And I look forward to the Martin Luther King celebration, which I don't know if my colleague wants to talk a little bit more about, but thank you. Speaker 6 00:21:51 That's a great segue. Thank you Councilwoman. Kay. Councilwoman Carmichael. Speaker 11 00:21:57 Just looking forward to working with our new council and I'm looking for us to thrive in 2025. Oh Speaker 12 00:22:04 Yeah, Speaker 6 00:22:05 Very good. Thank you. Consa Councilwoman Lombardi. Speaker 1 00:22:10 Yes. Happy New Year. Healthy New Year to everyone. I'm sure that we will all work together to do the right things for our community here. One of the first things coming up are, are township rabies clinics for the animals. So Saturday, January 25th at nine o'clock and Saturday, February 1st at nine o'clock to noon will be our rabies clinic for getting the animals vaccinated. So other than that, everybody have a very happy and healthy New year. Speaker 6 00:22:45 Thank you. Councilwoman Lombardi. Welcome. Councilwoman Leitz. Would you like to have an give an announcement? Speaker 12 00:22:53 I wanna wish everybody, of course, a happy New Year and I wanna point out that we are in the darkest time of the year and we should reflect on the point that many of our faiths celebrate light at this season. Today. Hanukkah ended at 4 43. We had a wonderful light decorating contest here in town, honoring Christmas. And so I hope that we each take the light and carry it in through this dark season. Heading us into a wonderful year of working together. Speaker 6 00:23:29 Thank you. Councilwoman Leitz. Councilwoman Rasheed, welcome. Speaker 13 00:23:35 Thank you. I wanna wish everybody a happy New Year. It's very exciting to be here and I look forward to working with everyone. It's very befitting because this is Muslim Heritage Month, January celebrated all across New Jersey. So look out for events happening in schools and the libraries and around town. Speaker 6 00:23:58 Thank you so much. Cons, Councilman Earn? Yes, Speaker 5 00:24:02 I'd just like to wish everybody a happy New Year and I'm looking forward to another great year in 2025 and I wanna welcome our two new council members. Welcome. Speaker 6 00:24:10 Thank you, Councilman. I would like to say again, it seems like there's the same message across the board. You know, we, we are working together. We have two new council members looking very forward to, to working with both of you and of course, 2025, the strive. You know, I think I, I think that's gonna catch on for me. So thank you so much to everyone, mayor, Speaker 10 00:24:37 Just happy New Year. Look forward to all the nice infrastructure improvements are gonna taking place in the town. So much so there's one going on right outside in front of our window. If you notice there's no water in in the building right now because of that. So hopefully this is a good sign of start of 2020. Things are getting fixed. So Speaker 6 00:24:57 Thank you Mayor, Business Administrator, Timothy Dacy. Speaker 14 00:25:02 I wish everybody a happy New Year. Thank everybody for what we accomplished last year and council was certainly a very important part of all the progress that we made. And believe it or not, the mayor actually is more planned for this year. So look forward to working with you on this year's projects. Speaker 6 00:25:19 Thank you sir. And from our township attorney, Raj Gomar. Speaker 15 00:25:23 Yeah, just a happy New Year and looking forward to working with the council this year. Thank you. Speaker 6 00:25:27 Great. Thank you so much. Speaker 6 00:25:36 Okay, we're gonna review the agenda session for January 23rd, 2025. Ordinance second reading, designating a qualified purchasing agent is going to be open to the public resolution adopting ordinance. Ordinance. First reading, amending chapter seven, traffic section eight resolution, adapting ordinance resolution authorizing submission of F fiscal year 2025, local re recreation improvement Grant, LRIG resolution authorizing Piscataway Township to join the Keystone Purchasing Network Cooperative Purchasing System Resolution authorizing return of Sterling Village Security deposit and payment to Piscataway Township for damages. Apartment 4 55 resolution authorizing award of contract through Somerset County Cooperative Gasoline Supply 87 Octane National Fuel Oil, Inc. Not to exceed 275,000. Speaker 3 00:26:40 Okay, Speaker 6 00:26:42 This time we're going to open to the public for remote attendees. If you wish to speak at this time, please raise your hand either on the Zoom app or by phone by pressing star nine. When it's your turn to speak, you'll receive or hear a request. To unmute yourself, please click the prompt or press star six on your phone to unmute yourself at that time, please state your name and address and know that you had three minutes in which to make your comments. The council or administration will respond if necessary after you have completed any comments or questions. Cedar, do we have anybody online? Speaker 4 00:27:17 Council president, there are no remote attendees with their hand raised regarding this agenda item. Speaker 6 00:27:22 Thank you so much. Closing the remote portion, opening up for the in-person attendees, if you wish to speak at this time, please come to the podium, state your name and address and know that you had three minutes in which to make your comments. You may take a seat at the completion of your comments or questions and the council or administration would then respond if necessary. State your name and address please. Speaker 16 00:27:50 Yes, good evening Council. My name is Charlie Kratovil. I'm from New Brunswick. I'm the editor of New Brunwick Today, community News Outlet, available online@newbrunswicktoday.com. Wanna start by wishing everybody a happy New year and congratulations to everyone who you know won a term in office and I hope that you'll all have a good experience serving and, and that you'll be guided by the Constitution and your constituents. First and foremost, I did have just one matter I wanted to ask about. I saw a contract that the council approved in November for information technology services. It was, there was a certification that that quote, an emergency condition exists and wanted to learn more about that. I wanted to know what the emergency was and how Atlantic IT Services will be addressing that emergency. Speaker 15 00:28:42 Yes. So the emergency was just, there was a personnel issue. Our IT director was unavailable and has been unavailable and so therefore we needed someone to step in and provide support while we look, you know, while we figure out a solution. Speaker 14 00:28:56 Yeah. We're advertising for IT personnel, so, Speaker 16 00:29:01 Got it. So the, the situation was that there was a, a person on staff doing the work and they had to leave. Yes. Are they still employed? Are they on leave? What's the staff? Speaker 14 00:29:10 No, they're no longer employed by us Speaker 16 00:29:12 No longer employed and now Atlantic IT is doing all the IT work. Speaker 14 00:29:17 We've got one employee in there and Atlantic it is helping with their expertise. Speaker 16 00:29:22 Got it. Speaker 14 00:29:22 Hopefully, hopefully by the end of the first quarter I hope to have somebody hired here. Speaker 16 00:29:28 Okay. Well I think that's all the questions I had today, so I just wanna wish you all well and thanks for hearing me out. I appreciate being able to speak here and I also appreciate being able to watch on Zoom and, and on YouTube. Thank you. Speaker 6 00:29:41 Thank you so much. Thank you Charlie. I see no one else closing to the public. Motion to close Motion. Second, you say aye. Aye. Are you asking us to vote? All in favor, star. Aye. Aye. Aye. Thank you so much. Meeting adjourned. Thank you. Have a great night.